Crawley Woods & The Coombe

It’s 7-30am on Sunday morning and we’re blundering around Crawley Wood, trying to capture the early morning mist and magical colours. You’d think you’d have the place to yourself at this time! Nevertheless, we stumble upon a motionless photographer with ALL the gear. He’s been staking out the woods for an hour or so and has lenses the size of a large marrow, camouflaged tripods, light meters and remote shutter release. Immediately I feel like a rank amateur and mutter something about being on a walk and just stopping off for a few snaps. He’s very generous and we have a short chat. He’s a landscape photographer, trying out his new wildlife lenses and we’ve stumbled upon one of the bluebell displays of the season. Apparently, at this time of the year, people set off from Derby in the small hours to capture dawn in these woods. We really are lucky to live just a short drive away!

Leaving Crawley Wood to our camera sniper, we walk through The Coombe and out of the woods towards Gallows Hill. We said it yesterday but it bears repeating, on a good day the view would be great. Today, rain and low lying clouds obscure any chance of a view. Once again we’re not alone. In fact, we’re surprised by the numbers of walkers, runners and cyclists who are out this morning. Of course, we are also accompanied by the obligatorily, lost teenagers on their Duke of Edinburgh expeditions…please, someone tell them, no one cares whether you’ve done this when you go for your university interviews! And none of you look like you’re enjoying it.

A loop back across Ivinghoe Beacon, through the woods and we’re back at the car before we know it, a short 3.4 mile walk. It’s not even 9 o’clock but it’s a great way to start the day.